A MENAGERIE OF WAYWARD BIRDS IX

This takes place a day after Christmas and features Kahla'kekoa.

DECEMBER 26, 1964

"Ha no catch!" Kahla'kekoa called from her tree branch.

It was the day after Christmas and Gilligan decided to take Kahla'kekoa out to explore the island. At the moment they were jumping from tree to tree playing tag. They were now a few hours away from camp and on the other side of the mountain. Kahla'kekoa jumped onto another branch then looked behind her. She didn't see Gilligan.

"Gill Lee Ghan!" Kahla'kekoa replied looking around.

"Ha got you!" Gilligan replied jumping down from above and tapped her on the shoulder.

"Ha on goo!" Kahla'kekoa replied then sniffed the air.

"What do you smell?" Gilligan asked trying to smell what she smelled.

"Sand ground sick!" Kahla'kekoa tried to say.

"There is quicksand on the ground!" Gilligan translated and sure enough they saw a small branch sink into the sand.

"And cloud jingle fuel!" Kahla'kekoa replied pointing at a clearing.

"Huh?" Gilligan asked looking at the spot where Kahla'kekoa was pointing to.

He couldn't believe his eyes. There were dozens of chickens in the clearing. He recognized them as Red Junglefowl. He saw hundreds of them running wild back in Hawaii.

"Goo food no friend!" Kahla'kekoa replied giving Gilligan a look as she got out her bow and arrows.

"Don't worry they are the only animals that don't like me!" Gilligan replied as he watched her load three arrows into her bow then took her shot.

0o0o0o0o

"HEY EVERYONE YOUR NOT GOING TO BELIEVE WHAT WE FOUND ON THE OTHER SIDE OF THE ISLAND!" Gilligan shouted as they ran into camp.

"What did you find?" The Skipper asked rolling his eyes as the Professor closed his book.

"There is a whole flock of feral chickens on the other side of the island and Kahla'kekoa managed to catch a few!" Gilligan replied as Kahla'kekoa showed them her catch.

"That's wonderful!" The Skipper replied eyeing the chickens hungrily.

"How interesting!" The Professor replied as Mary Ann took the chickens from Kahla'kekoa. "I've seen those wondering the streets back in Kauai. They are Red Jungle fowl. Where about did you find them?"

"On the other side of the mountain in a clearing surrounded by quicksand, trees and rocks." Gilligan replied. "Kahla'kekoa jumped down from the trees to get them then jumped back up. We didn't explore more of the area any further."

"Well it looks like we'll have a nice chicken dinner tonight!" Mary Ann replied taking the chickens into the supply hut.

"How marvelous!" Mrs. Howell replied clapping her hand.

"It sure is!" The Skipper replied thoughtfully. "We should build a coop and go grab some more for eggs and meat!"

"Indeed!" Mr. Howell replied smiling weekly and looked at Gilligan. "Though I do hope nobody befriends any of them!"

"Oh you don't have worry Mr. Howell!" Gilligan replied grimacing. "Chickens are the only animals that I don't get along with!"

"Why's that?" Ginger asked as she put a pot of water over the fire.

"I had a bad run in with some back in Hawaii!" Gilligan began. "I tried to help some chicks that got stuck in a gutter and the whole flock got protective and started pecking and scratching me. I needed a lot of stitches!"

"Well I say we build a coop and bring some back so we'll have eggs and more meat!" Skipper replied. "Mary Ann you had chickens back on the farm right?"

"Right!" Mary Ann replied from inside the hut.

"Great we'll get started on the coop tomorrow!" The Skipper replied clapping his hands and licking his lips.

0o0o0o0o

The next day while the Skipper and Gilligan worked on chicken coop designs Kahla'kekoa took Mary Ann and the Professor back to the area where they saw the jungle fowl.

"No step grind sick!" Kahla'kekoa suddenly said.

"What?" Mary Ann asked.

"There's quicksand ahead!" The Professor replied.

"Lime C fuel!" Kahla'kekoa replied.

"If we climb the trees we'll get a good view of the flock!" The Professor translated looking up at a tree nervously.

"Knee bust!" Kahla'kekoa asked.

"She's asking if we need a boost!" The Professor translated.

"Vein rip lime!" Kahla'kekoa replied as she started to wrap a big vine around a nearby tree then climbed up it to finish the job.

Mary Ann and the Professor used the vine like a ladder and joined Kahla'kekoa on the branch then followed her further up the tree. Once at the top they gasped as they stared across the clearing.

"My goodness there must be hundreds of them!" Mary Ann whispered.

"Cup red pairs bun gil foo logs?" Kahla'kekoa asked.

"She's asking if we want to get a couple of breeding pairs and a bunch of females for egg laying!" The Professor translated.

"Yes that sounds good!" Mary Ann replied. "To start with I think we should catch two males and at least seven females."

"Okay then!" The Professor said to Kahla'kekoa. "Today we'll catch two males and at least seven females."

Kahla'kekoa looked out into the clearing and spotted four males a few feet away from the tree they were hiding in. One of them was big and large, one a little smaller and the final two tall and skinny. She guessed that they were the leaders and their sons so she decided to go after the sons. She gripped their makeshift cage and jumped out of the tree.

She landed on the ground and instantly scooped up the young males into the cage. As soon she did the larger male crowed loudly and the entire flock grew silent. Then the smaller male seemed to puff up his chest as the the large male took a running start and flew straight towards Kahla'kekoa. She ducked as he flew over her just as the other male rammed the cage, knocking it over and freeing the two inside. She looked up as all four males crowed and the entire flock seemed to be looking straight at her. She backed up into the nearest tree and leaped into it then made her way to where Mary Ann and the Professor were.

"Sour leaf no harm!" She replied grimacing.

"She had to get out of there before her or the chickens were harmed!" The Professor translated.

"That's understandable!" Mary Ann replied as they watched the chickens calm down.

"Wah hut new?" Kahla'kekoa sighed.

"Well we may need Gilligan to work his magic and try to befriend those males!" The Professor replied.

"Otters no lick!" Kahla'kekoa replied as they climbed out of the tree.

0o0o0o0o

"So where's the chickens?" Mr. Howell asked looking up from the table where he and the Skipper were drawing up designs for the coop.

"Kahla'kekoa tried to catch a couple but the entire flock went berserk and tried to attack her!" Mary Ann replied.

"I hate to say it this but," the Professor began. "We probably need Gilligan's help catching these chickens!"

"UGHHHH!" Everyone groaned.

"That's all we need!" Mr. Howell exclaimed. "All it takes is Gilligan to befriend just one of them and it's bye bye chickens!"

"Them nose cheese!" Kahla'kekoa replied.

"Would you rather have no chickens then!" Mary Ann replied folding her arms.

"I can't do it I can't go near them!" Gilligan replied as he put down some bamboo polls.

"Oh yes you are!" The Skipper replied firmly folding his as everyone else gave him a stern look.

"Fine but you all have to come with me!" Gilligan replied looking at them with big puppy dog eyes.

0o0o0o0o

Gilligan took a deep breath, looked up at everyone in the trees then sat down in the middle of the flock. As soon as he did the flock seemed to become silent and he saw the four males Mary Ann had described come towards him. Three of them stopped a few feet in front of them but the smallest male gave out a small cluck and hopped into his lap. Gilligan swallowed nervously and then began patting the chicken. Then the biggest male hopped up onto his knee and seemed to puff up his chest and then sat down. Gilligan smiled and began to pat him too.

From their place at the base of the trees the Skipper and Mr. Howell watched nervously as several more chickens surrounded Gilligan. Gilligan just smiled and patted each one of them. The Skipper sighed and looked at Mr. Howell who looked over at his wife then sighed and shook his head. He looked over at the Professor and Ginger who looked at the Howells and nodded. Then he looked up at Mary Ann and Kahla'kekoa who both had tears in their eyes and that was that. The chickens were staying where they belonged.

A/N: The Red Jungle Fowl or wild chicken is the thought to be the ancestor of all domestic chickens. True Red Jungle Fowl range in southeastern Asia.

The males have a head and neck that is reddish gold and neck with long feathers on their upper parts. A red fleshy comb tops the head and red feathers that surrounds the cheeks, a black chest and belly and a long shiny black and green tail and a white patch on their bottom. Their wings also shine with green and blue. The females are red and brown spotted and lack the long tail and have little bit of orange or gold on the neck.

The jungle fowl faces genetic extinction because of hybridization and domestication.

PLEASE READ AND REVIEW!